Patricia Arab graduated from Dalhousie University/University of King’s College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. She completed her Bachelor of Education at Mount Saint Vincent University and worked for a number of years in the Halifax Regional School Board as a teacher.
Patricia was hired by the South Shore Regional School Board shortly after completing her Masters of Education in Counseling from Acadia University. In her new role, she was tasked with the implementation of a new preventative mental health program – PATHS (promoting alternate thinking strategies).
The basic premise of the PATHS program is to teach children starting at age 5 to identify, name, and understand their feelings both good and bad. It then teaches them to positively work through these emotions, with the goal being that when crisis occurs in their lives, they will have the tools needed to help handle the situation. This program was successfully piloted in three elementary schools just outside of Bridgewater.
Before being elected in 2013 to the Nova Scotia Legislature, Patricia Arab most recently worked as a guidance counselor and teacher at Forest Heights Community School in Chester Grant. During her time there, she had the opportunity to work with Dr. Stan Kutcher, piloting his mental health curriculum, which has since been adopted nationally.
Patricia was born and raised in Halifax. From a young age she has been very active in her church communities of Our Lady of Lebanon Parish and Saint Benedict’s Parish (formerly Our Lady of Perpetual Help) as well as spending numerous hours volunteering for various organizations, such as the IWK, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Lebanese cultural organization, Diman Association Canada.
Since her election to the Nova Scotia Legislature in 2013, Patricia has become a well respected representative for the constituency of Fairview-Clayton Park. Patricia was honored and excited to be re-elected during the 2021 provincial election and looks forward to more years of serving her community.